NEED TO KNOW
- Trump administration wants ICE agents in California to arrest based on “visual cues” like language, work clothes, or location.
- Courts have ruled those factors discriminatory and legally baseless.
- Trump’s lawyers argue the approach is “like birdwatching, except the birds get deported.”
WASHINGTON, DC — The Trump administration is urging the Supreme Court to let ICE agents in California arrest people using what it calls “pattern recognition.” Officials say it is similar to birdwatching, except the binoculars come with an arrest warrant.
Lawyers for the government claim spotting undocumented immigrants can be as simple as noting who speaks Spanish, wears work boots, and stands within fifty feet of a Home Depot. Critics say this standard could also result in the immediate deportation of half the city’s Little League coaches.
The filing argues that “no one thinks speaking Spanish always means illegal presence, but it often helps.” ACLU attorneys countered that this logic could justify arresting the Pope during a papal visit if he wandered into a taco truck.
Observers note the plan comes after Trump sent the California National Guard into Los Angeles to “protect ICE from protest energy,” which mostly consisted of drum circles and a guy with a bullhorn who kept mispronouncing “tyranny.”
Legal experts expect the Court to respond within weeks. In the meantime, ICE has been instructed to keep all arrests “at a polite volume” and to stop confusing mariachi bands with human trafficking rings.
Quote of the moment
If we can’t identify people by their shoes and language, then America might as well stop pretending it’s paying attention
D. John Sauer, Solicitor General
